Assistant US Trade Representative Michael Delaney coming to Dhaka

Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Michael Delaney is coming to Dhaka to review the progress of workplace safety measures and labour rights implementation.

Delaney will lead a delegation to Bangladesh from Sep 19-23, the US embassy has said.

He will be accompanied by Director for Labor Affairs of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Michael O’Donovan, Office Director Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the Department of State Bruce Levine, and International Relations Officer of the International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) Jennifer Goodyear.

During their visit, they will meet government officials, employers, workers, trade unions, representatives of the International Labor Organization, Alliance on Bangladesh Worker Safety, Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, and other organisations.

They also plan to be in Chittagong to meet officials of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority, representatives from the shrimp processing sector, and other local organisations.

The US embassy says the delegation will like to know about the efforts of the government and other Bangladeshi actors in pursuing the Sustainability Compact and the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Action Plan.

In 2013, the US suspended the GSP trade facility extended to Bangladesh, setting compliance with a 16-point action plan as a precondition for its reinstatement.

The action followed the Tazreen Fashions factory fire and the Rana Plaza building collapse, two of Bangladesh’s worst industrial accidents that raised worldwide concern over the country’s labour safety and rights issues.

The team will assess the progress made and look at areas in need of further action “to help ensure a successful” Sustainability Compact review in Dhaka in November with the EU, the ILO, the US, and the Bangladesh government.